


when the truth comes knocking at your door

by daisy_chains



Series: Merlin Fics [29]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Episode: s01e09 Excalibur, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-26
Updated: 2019-05-26
Packaged: 2020-03-17 13:26:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18966154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daisy_chains/pseuds/daisy_chains
Summary: “You were conceived through magic.”





	when the truth comes knocking at your door

Morgana stands outside the doors to the council chambers, listening intently to the argument going on inside. Horror and rage and sorrow flood her veins in equal measure, learning what Uther had done all those years ago. 

A life for a life. Surely, he must have known. Whoever is in there with him must have warned him, at the very least. Did he care so little for the lives of others, so long as their death did not directly affect him? 

And now his past, come to haunt him. It is no less than he deserves for his actions.

But at the cost of Arthur? No. Uther is not worthy of having Arthur for a son, not worthy of sitting on the throne and condemning innocent people for a power he once used for his own benefit. 

Eventually, silence falls in the chambers and Morgana flees before anyone can catch her lurking. She flees through the servants’ corridors that she explored with Gwen as a young girl until she reaches the antechamber connected to Arthur’s room. She bursts through the door, then through the one leading to the prince’s chambers. 

“Arthur,” she gasps, launching herself into his not-quite-ready arms. 

“Morgana?” He asks, alarmed, wrapping his arms around her in a steadying embrace. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“Uther -”

“What?” Arthur shoves away from her, reaching for his sword even as he questions Morgana. “Where is he? What’s happened?” 

“Arthur,” she shouts, maybe a bit more desperately than she’d like, and grabs his arm to stop him from storming out to protect the king. “It’s not - he’s fine.”

The prince pauses, watching her for any sign of deceit, as though she would lie about this, as though she would lie _now_. Eventually, he nods and gestures toward the table, an unspoken half-offer half-demand to sit. 

“So what is it then?” Arthur asks as he sits across the table from her. “To have you coming to me at this time, it must be important.” 

“I went to Uther, I was going to tell him he needs to convince you not to fight -”

Arthur scowls, turning away, but before he can completely shut himself off from her, Morgana continues. 

“Listen to me, Pellinore’s blade pierced the knight’s armor, he _should be dead_ , Arthur. It’s not a matter of skill but of what you’re up against. No man can win against an unkillable foe.” She waits until he shows no sign of storming off before continuing. “I went to Uther, but I never got the chance to go in the council chambers. He - he was talking to someone. A woman, by the sounds of it. But, Arthur, they were talking about you. You and your mother.” 

That gets his attention. Arthur turns, eyes wide and not quite desperate. 

“My mother?”

Morgana nods, glancing at the door anxiously. _Should I lock the door_? _Make sure Arthur doesn’t do anything rash_? 

“They were talking about your birth,” she says, regret clutching at her chest as the prince’s face falls, eyes dimmed with guilt and an old self-loathing. If she were anyone else, she might’ve stopped, might’ve given up, unwilling to cause her brother in all but blood such pain. “They were talking about your father’s role in your mother’s death.”

“I don’t understand.” 

_No_ , she growls, wishing for nothing more than to strangle the foolish coward of a king, _of course you wouldn’t_.

“You were conceived through magic.” 

The resulting silence is deafening. Arthur doesn’t move, doesn’t react, doesn’t _breathe_ , for one long, painful moment and then -

“You’re - you’re lying,” he denies weakly, pushing away from the table to flee, but Morgana can’t let him, no matter how much it hurts to put him through this. He needs to know the truth. She stands and closes the distance between them swiftly, tugging the reluctant prince into an embrace. 

“I’m sorry,” she whispers, rubbing a hand over his back in a slow, circular pattern. “I’m so sorry, Arthur, but I’m not. I would never lie to you, not about this.” 

And then he sags forward, leaning most of his weight onto her and hiding his face in her shoulder. Morgana holds him, heart breaking as her shoulder dampens. At the same time, rage coils in her lungs, constricting her breath as she aches to confront the hypocrite and _scream_ , but she shoves it aside for now. There will be time for that later, when Arthur’s princely mask of indifference is back in place and he is prepared to face his father himself. 

She, as always, will be by his side if he needs her. 

**Author's Note:**

> Me, at Morgana at the "brother in all but blood" part, the part I wrote: honey, you've got a big storm coming
> 
> Also [posted on tumblr](https://tyrseward.tumblr.com/post/190873182093/when-the-truth-comes-knocking-at-your-door)!


End file.
